Philadelphia Phillies: Howie Kendrick’s Role as a Stopgap

Acquiring Kendrick could have a secondary benefit, Double D, because Klentak could swap a middle infielder for a left-side bat with pop. Then, Kendrick could man second base until J.P. Crawford advances to Philly. And if the youngster joins the red pinstripes after the All-Star break, management could swap Kendrick to a contender. Yet, while Freddy Galvis has more versatility and a better glove, Cesar Hernandez averaged .294 last season and stole 17 bags in 30 tries. So, which middle infielder would the executive move? Hernandez.

If you examine Klentak’s pattern with young talent, Double D, you’d notice Vince Velasquez‘s 95-mph smoke, Jorge Alfaro‘s moon shots, Quinn’s elite speed and Crawford’s extraordinary plate discipline. Then, add the trade rumors in the weeks since campaign’s end, and the only buzz is about Hernandez. In fact, nobody has even mentioned Galvis once regarding a swap. So the conclusion here is the quick-deciding GM was happier with Galvis. Who floated Hernandez’s name into the deal-making conversations? Klentak.